1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the process of upgrading memory within a computer system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for automating the process of purchasing a memory upgrade for a computer system.
2. Related Art
As computational performance continues to increase at an exponential rate, computer systems only a few years old are often rendered obsolete because they lack the memory capacity required to accommodate the latest software. Instead of purchasing a new computer system, computer users typically upgrade their computer systems by purchasing additional memory modules to increase their computer systems' memory capacity.
Unfortunately, the process of purchasing a memory upgrade can be complicated. First, a computer user must typically deter-nine physical characteristics of the computer system in order to determine which memory modules to purchase. For example, the computer user may have to determine the amount of memory that is presently installed in the computer system, the maximum amount of memory that can be installed in the computer system, the number of free slots for memory modules in the computer system, and the type of memory that can be installed in the computer system (e.g., synchronous DRAM or double data rate DRAM).
Once the computer user has determined which types of memory modules will work in the computer system, the user must typically contact a vendor to determine which types of memory modules are available, and to obtain pricing information.
What is needed is a method and an apparatus for automating the process of purchasing a memory upgrade for a computer system.